Like A Moth To A Flame
by BlackCatBethany
Summary: (au, see authors notes, rewritten life for Morgan Corinthos, pairing him with an original character) ..I always find my way back to you. Morgan and Bethany had something that neither of them really knew what they had, until it was taken from them.. Now th
1. Chapter 1

A NOTE FROM BETHANY, GUYS

I DON'T OWN GENERAL HOSPITAL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS ON THE SERIES. NOR DO I MAKE ANY MONEY OFF THE STORIES I WRITE. REVIEWS ARE LOVED, DEARLY.

THE ONLY CHARACTER I DO OWN IS BETHANY MOORE. OH YEAH, AND I OWN MY TWISTS TO THE CURRENT STORYLINE. THIS IS ME, REWRITING MORGAN'S FATE.. BECAUSE I'M SICK OF MORGAN GETTING THE SHITTY SIDE OF LIFE.

CHARACTER WARNINGS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: !ANGSTYMORGAN, !SEXYMORGAN, !SWEETNOTANASSHOLEMORGAN, !PROTECTIVEMORGAN, !DADMORGAN, !ROMANTICMORGAN, WITH SHADES OF !ANGRYMORGAN AND !SARCASTICMORGAN THROWN IN FOR KICK.

ORIGINAL CHARACTER IS USED IN THIS STORY. IF YOU HATE THOSE, THEN DON'T READ THIS. IF YOU'RE COOL WITH IT, FOR THE 411 ON BETHANY (AND HER BABY WITH MORGAN, HOW THEY CAME TO MEET, ETC) CHECK OUT MY PROFILE, EVERYTHING IS THERE.

ALTERNATE LIFE FOR MORGAN CORINTHOS.. BECAUSE I SWEAR TO CHRIST, I HATE AVA JEROME AND KIKI JEROME, AND WHILE I CAN'T KILL THEM OFF, I DAMN SURE CAN WRITE THEM OUT OF MY BOO MORGAN'S LIFE.

CHARACTERS FEATURED WITHIN / PAIRINGS:

MORGAN X OC

PAST TENSE MORGAN X KIKI

CARLY X FRANCO

SONNY

_**(BE WARNED, THERE WILL BE BASHING OF THOSE TWO, I CAN'T STAND THEIR IDEA OF RAISING THEIR DAMN KIDS.)**_

MICHAEL X KIKI

* THERE WILL ALSO BE A TON OF KIKI BASHING. I HATE THAT BITCH. GOD I HATE THAT BITCH, JUST BEING HONEST. LOVE KIRSTEN ALDERSON, HATE THIS CHARACTER. IT'S NOT THE SAME THING, PEOPLE. IF BASHING OFFENDS OR YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT.*

MOLLY

ALEXIS

JACKS MIGHT MAKE AN APPEARANCE, BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT.. IF NOT FOR JACKS, MORGAN WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN MADE IT THIS FAR. HE'S THE ONLY REAL FATHER THAT KID'S EVER FREAKING KNOWN.

JOSSLYN (AS A 5 YEAR OLD, I'M AGING HER UP.. ONE INFANT IS HARD ENOUGH TO WRITE FOR. TWO WOULD BE HELL ON EARTH.)

DANTE. I'M FIXING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MORGAN, DAMN IT ALL, IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO.

THERE WILL MOST LIKELY BE NO QUARTERMAINES IN THIS STORY.. WITH EMILY AND JASON GONE, I HAVE NO USE FOR THEM IN ALL HONESTY. I QUIT WATCHING THEIR SHIT LONG AGO AND THIS NEW WRITER ISN'T HELPING ANY.

SPINELLI IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BECOME TEAM MORGAN, BTW.. I SEE HIM AS GETTING ALONG WITH MY VERSION OF MORGAN.

MAXIE..

AND YES, THERE WILL BE SPIXIE. IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPIXIE, OH WELL. AND THEY KEEP THEIR KID, DAMN IT..

LULU AND DANTE HAVE THEIR OWN DAMN KID IN MY STORY, JUST SAYIN.. HE'S A BOY NAMED LUCAS MICHAEL FALCONERI.

CONTENT WARNING:

SWEARING

SEX EVENTUALLY

OOC GOOD GUY MORGAN – MORGAN THE WAY HE SHOULD BE WRITTEN, DAMN IT.

BASHING OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS

TENSE SITUATIONS

A LITTLE ANGST

OTHER THINGS TO COME, I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN.

SUMMARY:

LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME..

I KEEP COMING BACK TO YOU.

Morgan Corinthos and Bethany Moore met while he was attending military school.. Despite a rather interesting and rocky start, the pair fell in love eventually.. But her abusive and possessive father got in the way.. But not until they had one entire weekend together, alone..

It's almost 11 months later, and Bethany's shown up in Port Charles, right when Morgan needs her the most, right when he's realizing that he really did love her, what they had was special. And she's got a little girl with her.. a little girl that fits neartly into the time frame of their 'weekend' together while on respective ski trips with their boarding schools..

Now, of course, there are more interesting problems for the pair.. Everything from meddling mothers to recent ex wives and older brothers who just can't stop trying to take what belongs to Morgan, stand in their way.

Will they find their way back together, or will everything work against them once again?


	2. Chapter 2

"Fuck this.. I'm sick of it, really. Know what, Michael? If you want Kiki? She's all yours." Morgan said as he turned on his heels and stormed out of the Metro Court, stopping to process what he'd just done. He could hear them calling him, but he waved it off and continued to walk, through the lobby, out the doors, to his car in the parking lot. Once he'd put the car in drive, he just decided to start driving. He needed time to think, to get his head around the fact that he'd been betrayed again, again someone he thought loved him had chosen his brother, over him.

_'You had real love once, Morgan, you fucking let her go, like an idiot. Maybe tonight is what you deserve.' _came the thought on his mind as he turned down a road and continued driving, lost in thought, going back over where it'd all went wrong for him. He'd never really felt like his heart was in it with Kiki. Granted, it'd hurt like hell when he caught her with his brother, not once but twice, and yeah, he'd tried desperately, stupidly to hang on to something that was already dead..

But hey, when you've lost the girl you REALLY love, due to your own stupidity, you'll do anything to keep from feeling that pain again. In some ways, when his father did what he'd done and outed Morgan's little white lie, he'd actually done Morgan a favor, the dark haired 19 year old male mused as he drove towards the outskirts of town.

He'd kept Morgan from going through with something he didn't really want in the first place, he just thought he wanted. His heart hadn't been in it, really, he knew that now.

He tried calling her cell phone again, but got no answer. "Damn it." he swore as he threw his phone down on the passenger seat and thought back to where he'd actually gone wrong...

_" This isn't a good idea.. You deserve better than me, Bethany." he said quietly as he looked at her. She bit her lower lip and then shook her head, looked up for a split second and said quietly, " This is it, isn't it? I thought you were different, Morgan.. I thought we.."_

_He sighed as he looked at her and then said quietly, " I don't want to hurt you. But this weekend.. It was a mistake.." _

_"Get out. Just go.. Go be with whatever her name is. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I wish I'd never let you get to me, Morgan." Bethany said as she turned and walked out the door of the diner they'd agreed to meet in. _

And that'd been almost 6 months ago.

* * *

Bethany paced the side of the road, swearing as she looked at her car, the blown tire. "This is just frickin great. Tire blows at 10 pm, there's nobody around, it's on a deserted road and I have no service.. Yeah, some mother I'm going to make." she murmured darkly as she raked her hand through her long hair, went back to pacing.

Her cell phone gave off a weak ring and when she tried to answer, the call dropped. She scowled and slung the phone through her open window and then opened the car door. "Why in the hell am I even doing this? He got what the fuck he wanted and left me for that other girl.. He made his choice, I owe him nothing." she wondered aloud, even though she knew that she still loved him, even though he'd made his choice, he'd broken it off with her for some girl.

Then he'd disappeared.

And then, she found out she was pregnant around the same time she'd stumbled onto an article about him announcing his engagement to this other girl. So it still baffled her as to why she was even going to tell him about their daughter. Clearly, he didn't want to be with her. And her mother had used her to trap her father, she wasn't about to do that with her child.

Maybe it all went back to that one really deep talk they'd had when they first became friends, about their messed up childhoods.

The headlights blinded her as the car came down the road at a medium pace and she waved her arms. When the car stopped behind her car, she muttered quietly, "Thank God." as the driver got out, called out, "What happened?"

She froze when she recognized his voice and muttered, "Well shit.. this could be interesting.." as she stepped out into the light and said calmly, " I had a flat."

Morgan blinked at seeing her, standing in front of him when he'd literally been trying to find her for a while now with no success. "B-bethany?"

"Yeah, Morgan, it's me."

He walked closer, and then it hit him as his eyes roamed slowly over her petite curvy body. She was pregnant. And from the looks of it, due at any moment. He raked his hand over his hair, biting his lower lip as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came into town to find you, tell you about... And instead, I found out you were marrying her.. So yeah, I was just gonna quietly leave.. Not about to be one of those girls."

"What the hell do you mean?" he asked, temper flaring momentarily as he hurriedly blurted, "Sorry, I just.. It's been a really, really rough night."

"Aww, trouble in paradise already?" she asked sarcastically as she looked up at him and then said "Well, I'm pregnant.. Seeing as how you're the only damn guy I let get close enough to me to sleep with, like an idiot.. You getting the picture yet?"

He looked at her, his hand going to her slightly rounded stomach, then down into her eyes. "And you're just gonna leave now? Were you even going to tell me?"

"I left you a letter.. In your mom's mailbox... " she admitted as she bit her lower lip and stepped back, away from him, asked, "Your wedding was tonight.. What the literal fuck are you doing out here?"

"I walked out on it. Told my brother he could have the bitch.. Apparently, they can't keep their damn hands off one another anyway, so hey.. Just made it easier for them to be together."

She sucked in a breath, looked up into his eyes and said quietly, "Sorry.. I didn't know.." as he shrugged and then felt the first fat raindrop hit, picking her up, carrying her to his car. "Morgan, put me down, damn it."

"No. It's raining.. I for one am not standing out here, getting wet. And you're in no condition to get wet."

"Yeah, but I need to stay with my car.. And maybe things didn't work for us for a reason, Morgan.." she added, still wary of letting him close to her or even being around him.. He was like an addiction for her, sadly, even his walking away for what she thought was another girl, coming here and nearly marrying said girl hadn't been enough to end her feelings for him.

"Yeah, well maybe you're wrong.. And for your information? I've been trying to find you.. Where the hell have you been?" Morgan asked, leaning across her, fastening her into the car, shutting the door getting in on his side. He stared at the steering wheel a few moments, trying to get his head around how utterly crazy tonight had been so far.. And the fact that apparently, he was going to be a father now, something he'd never really thought about.. Maybe in the future, yeah, and mostly, ironically, when he'd been WITH Bethany, but not right now..

"I had to leave, Morgan, my father he..." Bethany said quietly as she looked out the window, watched the rain rolling down it slowly as she sighed and said "I'm staying at that first motel near the docks.. Just drop me there, please?"

"The hell I'm dropping you off at some shitty motel, Bethany. You don't get it, do you?" Morgan asked firmly as he looked at her, sighed. He really had hurt her when he walked away, he wasn't stupid. She'd never really let anyone get close to her, not like he had, he knew this.. And then he'd chosen Kiki over her.

And he'd been wrong doing it.

Could they really fix things now? And could he be a father? She was here, intent on telling him, that had to mean it wasn't too late.. Right?

* * *

Carly sat gaping at the letter she'd come home to find on the porch of her townhouse, obviously for Morgan. She scanned the words on the page, sighing to herself, her hands going to her hair. "If he's not in one mess, he's in another. This girl is probably lying to him to trap him. Sure she says she's leaving town because she won't mess up his new life, his new happiness.. But she's probably just after his money."

The sonogram fluttered out of the back of the 4 page letter and she picked it up, staring a moment. "He's had enough tonight.. I can't even deal with this right now, I need to see if Michael's okay.." she said as she dialed the number of her oldest son, scowling when Kiki answered. "And that's another girl I hate." she muttered to herself darkly as she sat, thinking about what'd happened to her sons tonight.

* * *

Morgan pulled into the parking garage of his brother Dante's apartment building and stopped the car, looking at Bethany as he said quietly, "I wanted to find you... I've been wanting to say that I was stupid, I made a mistake. I never should have walked out that night.. I damn sure shouldn't have left you with your father.. He didn't.. Hurt you after I left, did he?"

"Only when he found out I was pregnant.. But I got out of there that night.. I wasn't.. Even if I didn't have you, wasn't letting anything happen to our little girl.."

"Where the hell have you been since?"

"Trying to keep hidden from my father, trying to make my way here. I finally got to town earlier this week and I saw that announcement.. Was going to just leave again after dropping that letter off in your mailbox.. Figured there wasn't any sense in staying, I'd told you in the letter, you knew if you ever wanted to see her.. I wasn't about to become my mother, Morgan.. You know what she did to keep that bastard I call a father.."

Morgan nodded and then said "You can't leave.."

"Morgan, don't.. Look, you're just hurt right now, you're just saying this.. I'll stay for tonight.. But after that, I really need to go.."

He shook his head, held his finger to her lips as he muttered quietly, "No. There is no way in hell I'm losing you again.. I don't care what anyone says, Bethany. Like I said.. I've been looking for you, I've been wanting to say this, fix things for at least 2 months now, if not longer. I made a mistake."

"Maybe you didn't, Morgan, you don't know that.. Pain makes you say and do crazy things. Remember?"

He smiled and leaning in, he muttered quietly, "Pain didn't make me hook up with you that night. I wanted to. I did love you and I still do. It just took me a while to figure it out."

She sighed and said quietly, "Where are we?"

"My brother Dante's.. He's the only member of my family I wanna see right now.." Morgan admitted, smiling a little as her smaller hand intertwined with his and she said quietly, "Let me guess.. You come back here and it's still all about big brother, right?"

"Mhmm."

"Why are they like that, Morgan?"

"Dunno.. And after tonight, I don't honestly care. Let's go in, get some sleep.. After I explain this to Dante.." he muttered aloud as he got out of his car and let her out, leading her into his brother's apartment.

"Dante?"

Lulu sat up in bed rubbing her eyes as she called out, "Morgan? Where the hell have you been? Carly AND your dad have both been by here looking for you? What happened at the reception?"

"I called the wedding off.. It's a long story that's about to get even longer.. can you let us inside? Where's Dante.. I need to talk to him." Morgan said, the shock of everything wearing off a little now replaced by slight nervousness at their present situation and just how he'd be at being a father.. Because there was no way in hell he was letting her walk out of his life a second time.

Or their baby together. He wasn't gonna be like his father, an absent parent at best, watching from the sidelines under the guise of "for my kid's safety" while some other asshole raised his kid, loved the girl he wanted for himself.

Dante was finally prodded awake by Lulu and sitting up, he made his way to the door, stepping to the side, letting a girl he'd only seen in Morgan's photo album on his phone, and pictures Morgan sent him from school in letters step in with him.. The girl was pregnant, he quickly noticed as he said "So.. Wanna explain this to me?"

"Well.. This is Bethany.. And yes.. I realize she's pregnant.. And yes, Dante, it's mine.."

"But I thought that you were going to marry Kiki, even though I made it plain how I felt about her, the way she did you with Mike?"

"Walked out on my own damn wedding reception." Morgan explained calmly as he said "Me and dad kinda fought."

"No, you kinda punched him, Morgan."

"Yeah, well I was pissed, okay? It's not even so much the whole Michael taking Kiki thing.. Or even Dad telling everyone what I did to try and keep her and Michael apart, because I had to hold onto something, and I couldn't find Bethany.."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's the fact that I'm fucking sick of being treated like the family fuck up, the black sheep." Morgan said as he added quietly, "I thought I loved Kiki.. Then I spent all that time trying to find Bethany, and I started to realize that maybe I shouldn't have let her go.. And when I saw her tonight, it clicked.."

"You realize Carly and Sonny are both gonna be furious, right?"

"And? I'm done trying to please them.. I'm gonna do what I want, live my life, my way, for me.." Morgan said as Dante nodded, smiled, eyes turning to the quiet girl who stood next to his brother. "Morgan told me all about you, I'm Dante."

"He told me all about you too.. You and his stepfather were probably the only two people in his life that kept him from completely losing control.. I'm glad he had you.. I was really worried about him for a while there." Bethany admitted as she added, "And just so you know, Dante.. Not lying about Morgan being the father of my kid.. When he found me tonight, I was actually leaving town after leaving him a letter in his mother's mailbox telling him where to find me, if he ever wanted to see her.. I thought he was getting married.."

"But you're not leaving now, right?" Dante asked, concerned as Bethany said quietly, "I don't really know yet.. I mean.. I'm not going to use my baby to trap your brother. I know a lot of girls do that.. But my mom used me to do that.. Didn't go well for anyone involved.." as she sat down, still in shock. She'd never expected this to happen, and now that it had...

She wasn't sure what was going to happen for them next..


	3. Chapter 3

He sat there, watching her sleep, thinking about this new situation, and the other situation he was still trying to get himself out of, with Kiki. Rationally, he knew that there was a chance that Bethany could be lying.. But he knew she wouldn't lie, not about something like that. So if she said that the baby she carried was his, then it stood to reason that if he were to have DNA tests done, he' probably find out that the baby was going to be his.

She just wasn't the kind of girl who screwed around. Hell, he'd been her first, he remembered as he smiled a little to himself, going back mentally to that weekend, the isolation of the cabin, the snowstorm, the way they spent hours talking about everything and nothing really. He groaned inwardly as he looked at his cell phone and saw that his mother had left him at least 25 voicemails, and upon further checking, he realized that at least half of them were angry ones, she'd apparently found the letter left in the mailbox by Bethany, for his eyes only and of course, she'd ripped it right open and read the damn thing.

Had it been Michael's letter she wouldn't have dared.

He scowled a moment as he noticed her stirring, waking up, sitting up. She stretched and then said quietly, "What time is it?"

"10."

"I should probably hit the road, Morgan.." Bethany started as she went to stand, wincing as she felt a series of quick ripples, the baby kicking up a literal storm this morning. He looked at her, alert, concerned as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, the baby.. She's kicking. And hard." Bethany said as she went to move past him, to walk into the bathroom of his brother's apartment only to have him stand in her way, his hand lying flat on her rounded stomach as he felt the kicks and gave a little bit of a laugh. "Wow. She is kicking."

For a moment, his hand lingered and so did her eyes, but she quickly reminded herself why staying wasn't a good idea for either of them, especially given that he'd left her, for this other girl and he'd very nearly married this other girl and been happy. She didn't want to wreck that. She wasn't going to turn into her mother, using her child to trap a man she loved more than anything that probably, okay, more than likely, did not love her in return.

"You shouldn't go." Morgan muttered quietly as he added, "Why do you insist on leaving?"

"Because, Morgan.. I came to tell you and now I have.. I'm going to get out of your life now. I shouldn't have even come here. But you had a right to know. I don't expect anything from you, if it matters."

He gave her a raised brow and then said quietly, "I told you last night.. I realized what a mistake I made and I've been trying to find you, Bethany. Why can't you believe that?"

"Because, Morgan, I'm not turning into my mother, okay? I'm not using our baby to trap you. You obviously had a reason you chose Kiki.. And it probably wouldn't have worked out anyway." Bethany stated calmly as she sighed and then said quietly, "And I just.. I don't think I can stand back and watch myself lose you all over again. I'd really rather not, seeing as how I shouldn't have ever let you get to me the first time." before slipping on her cardigan and then slipping her feet into her shoes, grabbing her bags from where they sat by the door.

He swore to himself as he stopped her, standing behind her, his hand flat on the door as he said "Will you at least stay a few more days?"

"And do what, Morgan? Ride your brother's couch? No. I'm not going to depend on everybody else to take care of me, I can take care of myself and the baby just fine. I'm doing the right thing, here.. I know you don't get it, but you will.. Go talk to her, fix things." she pleaded with her eyes as from behind them, Dante cleared his throat and said causally," Don't mind me." while listening to their heated whispers, it sounded like she was trying like hell to walk away. Dante just had this feeling that if she weren't lying about the baby she was carrying being his younger half brother's baby, that Morgan was going to have to fight like hell to make her see that he really had been trying to find her, that he really had made a mistake.

"Thanks." Bethany called out as she looked up at Morgan and said quietly, "I'll go find a hotel room.. I need to figure out where I'm gonna go next anyway.. Trick is staying at least 4 steps ahead of that monster I call a father. Can't be that hard."

Morgan growled to himself. So her father was following her, trying to make her go home. Morgan knew how crazy the man could be, this concerned him. After all, she was pregnant and he did love her, and the baby she carried could very well be his.

Before either of them could say anything, Carly banged on Dante's apartment door and said angrily, "Morgan Stone Corinthos, get your ass out here now."

"Go, Morgan."

"Umm, yeah.. You're in this now too, Bethany.. You left the letter."

"And? I'm not making you do anything. I'm not here to make you marry me or give me money." Bethany insisted as Morgan held her hand and walked out into the hallway.

Carly paced, the words of the letter, the picture/sonogram burned into her memory as she said "Explain to me how the hell you even justify this?" holding out the letter, before noticing the very pregnant 19 year old girl standing next to her son. She glared and the girl glared back bravely as she said calmly, "I only left that to tell him he was a father and where I might go when I leave town. I did not come here to rope him into being with me. That's your move, from what I've heard."

She gaped at the girl who shrugged and said calmly, "See, Morgan? Do you see now why it's best for all of us if I just leave? I'm not the 'right kind' of girl, obviously. Of course I'm not some skanky little gold digging slut either. But hey.. You picked the bitch, not me." as she grabbed her suitcase, her purse and shoved past the two of them, Morgan glaring at his mother while trying not to laugh at what Bethany said to her, or about Kiki.

He'd forgotten how blunt she could be, especially when already upset or hurt, angry.

Carly watched her walking off and as Morgan went to stop her, she stopped him and said "Oh no.. You let her go.. She's lying for all you know, Morgan."

"Right, Mom, and you suddenly give a damn about me. Don't you have Michael's love life to butt into? I mean hell.. He left what was supposed to be MY wedding with the woman who was supposed to be my wife.. But I forgot.. he's the golden god of this family, he deserves happiness.. to you and Sonny? I don't. Just go, Mom. My life isn't your business anymore. And for the record? She's the girl I used over half of my left over check to FIND.. Remember?"

"That's..." Carly asked as she looked to the elevator, watched the girl about to get on.

"Yes, Mom.. That's the girl I stupidly left for Kiki in the first place.. Not that you care, I mean hell, I'm honestly surprised you even remember our conversation about how much I missed her."

"That's not true, Morgan, I do care.."

"When it's convienent." Morgan said as he rushed down the hallway, intending to stop Bethany before she got onto the elevator.. But thanks to his mother, she'd stepped on and the door slid shut.. He groaned and punched a nearby wall, then muttered quietly, "Maybe she'll do what she said and go get a hotel room.. She cannot leave."

Carly stood there watching her son, still wondering why the girl would show up now.. She didn't trust her. Not at all. And there was no way she was letting Morgan make yet another mistake. She tried to stop him as he walked past her but he said icily, "Go mom.. I don't want to discuss this and I damn sure don't wanna discuss it with you. Because I already know what you'll say."

He walked into Dante's apartment and Dante asked quietly, "Well?"

"If she's not leaving town, I'll be surprised.. Mom basically read her the riot act right off the bat, and she gave it back to her.. I just... I know she's not lying, Dante.. Have you ever just known something?"

"Yeah.. Go with your gut, Morgan.. Maybe she'll stick around.. Either way, I know how you feel and I think that you need to do what you feel is right.. I can tell you really still love her.. Now you just have to make her see that."

"Yeah.. And how the fuck do I do that? I basically ran away from her, left her in a situation that... I'm so pissed at myself right now, only I would pick the wrong damn girl and in the process, make a complete mess of things."

"It can be fixed." Dante pointed out as he smiled at his brother who shrugged and said quietly, "She's not much of a fighter.. "

"So you fight for you both." Dante said as he added, "Remember what I told you about Lulu when we first met?"

"Yeah."

"That's what I did and look at us now." Dante said as Morgan nodded, his mind racing.. Could he really fix all this?


	4. Chapter 4

Carly's eyes narrowed as she saw the girl claiming to be carrying her son's baby working at the diner when she went in. She sat at a booth, reading a menu, watching the girl covertly. Sure she seemed nice enough.. But any girl could be nice if she wanted to trap a guy. Carly herself couldn't be accused of being a saint when it came to this.

"What's she even still doing in town?" Carly mumbled aloud as she decided what she was going to order and waited on her server. Which of course, turned out to be the very girl she'd been studying covertly.

" -Jacks" Bethany said quietly, stomach churning. She didn't want to start trouble, really, and she hadn't been planning on staying in town, until of course, Molly and Lulu, two girls Morgan happened to be related to, sought her out and begged her to at least stick around and see what happened. So she was, like the lovestruck idiot he'd made her into, much to her chagrin.

"I'll have the Cobb salad." Carly said curtly before adding, "I see you stayed."

"Not that it matters, but yes. I did. And not to trap your son. As I said before. I wasn't intending on doing that. Just wanted him to know."

"So he'd feel obligated and come running." Carly finished, smug grin on her face until Bethany fixed her eyes on her and said with a grim smirk, "That's your job, not mine. I'm done. He chose Kiki, not me. I'm not turning into my mother." she trailed off as she turned on her heel and said angrily, "Cobb salad on table four." on her way out the back exit of the diner to cool down.

Carly sat thinking about the girls harsh analysis of herself, and the way she seemed to be 'done' or so she claimed, with Morgan.. She could tell the girl was hurt by his choosing Kiki, maybe this pregnancy was faked?

She sighed as she dug into the Cobb Salad moments later when it was placed in front of her.

Outside in the alley, Bethany paced, biting her lower lip, scowling as she swore aloud. The nerve of his mother to accuse HER of doing what she'd die before doing. She hadn't come back here to win Morgan back. She'd come to tell him the truth, let him know he'd be a dad. She didn't think everything that'd transpired would happen, nor did she hope it would.

She'd given up on ever being the one Morgan willingly chose about their sophmore year, when he went to the cotillion for their boarding schools with a girl named Macie after he promised he'd go with her. She probably should have given up on the idea of his ever noticing her as anything other than a secondary option or a place holder option back then.

But she was stupid, and she saw the good in him that he didn't see, so she hadn't. She'd hung on, stupidly, for whatever reasons.

The door to the back exit opened and she groaned inwardly when Morgan's voice called her name. How the hell had he known she was even at work today? "What?" She answered stiffly, standing, her hand on her hip.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked as he looked at her in concern.

"Apparently, Morgan, I'm working." Bethany stated as he said calmly, "I know that, but.. You're on your feet all day, the stress.. It can't be good for you or the baby."

"Well neither is starving to death." she snapped as he looked at her and said "I saw my mom just now.. She said something, didn't she?"

"Of course. But hey, it's fine. I got it. I've been taking care of me for as long as I can remember, Morgan. Everyone walks away sooner or later. So I handled it." she said casually as she tried to move past him, only to be stopped when he grabbed her wrist and gaped at it, she'd burnt it on hot noodles earlier in the back, helping out when their cook decided that for kicks and grins he'd take an hour break instead of their fifteen minute one.

"What?"

"How'd you do that?" he asked in concern as he held her gaze, demanding an answer.

"Working, Morgan.. Don't you have a wife or something?"

"I've already told you, Bethany.. We're done. I realized what a mistake I made.. " Morgan said as he helped her inside and sat her down, finding ice from the freezer in the back, responding to the guy who said "You're not supposed to be back here, man" with "Yeah? Well I am so piss off.. My girl's burnt her fucking arm. And she's pregnant, your stupid ass takes an extra break?"

The guy backed off and he smirked then said calmly, "Are you going to be busy later?"

"Sleeping." Bethany replied as she asked, "Why?" immediately kicking herself, reminding herself what happened every single time she let herself go down this road with him. But maybe his cousin was right.. Maybe he had changed..

He didn't look the same as he had then, cocky, arrogant..

She sighed as she said quietly, "No, I'm not busy."

"Where are you staying?"

"A hotel."

"Nope, I don't think so." Morgan said as he looked at her and then said "You're staying with me, at Dante's. I've already talked to him."

"Morgan, damn it.. I did not come here so you'd drop everything and do this. I came to tell you and go. Because it's obvious that I'm never gonna be the one you.." she started, only to find herself pinned in, his lips against hers, her mouth parting willingly as a groan escaped her lips and she leaned in against him, her hand raking through his hair.

"You can't just do that. You don't get to do that. You promise things and then you're gone.." She started as he said quietly, "Not this time, Bethany.. And if you're not gonna fight for us then damn it, I will.. I'm not the same guy."

"Sure. Says the guy who was about to MARRY a girl he barely knew and met online.. As opposed to a girl who's known him almost 5 damn years, and despite every stupid thing he's ever done, loved him the entire time, and stupidly, most likely, still does.." Bethany said as she groaned and palmed her face. She hadn't meant to say it out loud. Her horomones. She was blaming the damn horomones.

Morgan looked at her, blinking.. The one thing she'd never actually been able to say, put to words, finally.. The one reason he kept leaving her alone and coming back, hoping she'd say it eventually... He really felt like an idiot now, because he realized that her own actions had been proof that she loved him as much as he really loved her.

"What?" she asked as she went to stand, grab the food that had to be taken out to tables.

"Did you mean it?" he asked, stopping her.

"Yeah.. But it really doesn't matter does it.. Like I told your mother.. Sooner or later, everyone fucking leaves." Bethany admitted as she took the tray and food, walked out, sitting the food at it's proper table.

Morgan smiled to himself as he walked out the back door of the diner. Maybe Dante was right. If she wasn't gonna fight, but he knew there was something there to fight for, maybe if he did all the fighting, proved her wrong about him, proved he wasn't that same asshole he used to be...

It had to work. Because he loved her.


End file.
